Downtown hotels filling up for Mumford & Sons

Downtown hotels and inns are already filling up for the September visit to St. Augustine by the band Mumford & Sons. It will be the band’s first concert in Florida and one of only three Stopovers in the country this year, and is expected to bring 25,000 people to the city.

City manager John Regan counts himself among the fans of the internationally successful, Grammy-nominated British group.

The band, which will bring its Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Tour to downtown St. Augustine Sept. 13-14 at Francis Field, appeals across all age groups, Regan said.

“Even before all this started, I was a huge fan of their music and their philosophy,” Regan said. “I’m 51, and I’m into their music as much as any young person. I’m very excited and proud that of all the cities they could have picked, they chose us.”

September is traditionally the slowest time of the year in the nation’s oldest city, Regan said. Already, however, occupancies for that weekend are filling up.

“We’re completely sold out,” said Kelly Brooks, manager at St. Francis Inn, a 22-room bed and breakfast located in the heart of the oldest part of the city. “It’s amazing, really. We rarely sell out for that time period, and certainly not this early.”

Brooks admitted that she hadn’t heard of the group before the big announcement on Feb. 5 that they would be coming to St. Augustine.

“I looked them up on Wikipedia, then listened to some of their songs on YouTube,” Brooks said. “They sound really cool.”

Krissy Miller, the night innkeeper at Bayfront Westcott House, said she’s been getting a lot of calls to book the weekend.

“We just got a call about it right before you called,” she said Saturday. “We’re more than half full for that weekend already, and all of them are coming for the concert so far. It’s pretty exciting, and it’s a great chance for us to sell our wonderful city to visitors who might not have been here before.”

Regan said that’s one of the biggest pluses from the event — the opportunity to showcase all that St. Augustine has to offer.

“And the thing is, the vision that the band has is much the same as the city’s,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons they picked us. What it’s really about is our history and our passion for telling stories about our town. That’s what caught their interest. A big thing for them on this tour, when they visit a town, is to really experience it — to eat the food, meet the people and learn the history. We’re very proud and honored that they have a level of interest like that. They really understand our town.”

Regan said the band liked the city’s “commitment to free expression, and to Civil Rights.”

“They’re going to shine a light on St. Augustine, and it’s our goal to keep that light illuminated,” he said. “While this is going to bring a huge economic impact to the city, what’s most important is the cultural factor. And this is a validation that we, as a city, have a unique identity.”

Regan said the event will benefit the city in terms of handling similar big events in the future, such as the upcoming 450th birthday celebration in 2015.

“We’re going to be utilizing, with their guidance, a system of satellite parking,” he said. “That will allow people to park outside of town and come in on a shuttle. Then, they can walk all over town and truly experience what we have to offer. I’m particularly proud of our local elected officials, such as Mayor Boles, for being receptive to this event and realizing its importance to our sustaining our vision for the future.”

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Tickets going fast

While tickets were still available as of Saturday evening at www.gentlemenoftheroad.com, City Manager John Regan said he was told by the promoter that they are selling very fast and could be sold out by the end of the weekend.

“My advice is to get on there right away if you want a ticket,” he said. “This is going to be a special event.”

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There have been a lot of articles about this festival. I guess performing for and winning a Grammy last night helps their popularity! So excited that fun. performed and won as well!

The Picasso exhibit is incredible, especially to be housed in our little town. Sadly, though, the genius and master painter probably won't attract quite as much media attention as a popular Grammy winner band. As a patron and lover of all the arts, I think it's important to be supportive of it all. This will keep SA in the mix to attract future high quality talent exhibits, shows and festivals. If SA can handle Picasso and Mumford & Sons, who else down the road will jump on board? Be supportive of ALL of the arts. They all feed off of one another. Be proud of where you live, it is a very special place.